Abdullah Salem owes everything to his father.
A first-generation Arab American, he strides into the latest iteration of supermarket chain Salem’s Market and Grill, welcoming the shop’s early-morning customers before offering a helping hand in the butchery department, cutting meat for his regulars.
A team bustle about the aisles, monitoring items of stock with a hand-held barcode scanner to confirm all produce is halal. Anything that fails the test is collected in boxes and donated to local charitable causes.
“We are here to serve the community," Abdullah tells The National.
“That’s our job as a grocery store … when we were young and teachers taught us about community, there was police, firefighters and always a grocery store.”
The community Abdullah is referring to is Pittsburgh’s Hill District, a vibrant inner-city neighbourhood with a history rooted in jazz music, but one that has been “underserved” throughout recent decades.
The Hill District, which Abdullah proudly represents on his red hooded sweatshirt, was regarded as a food desert before Salem’s Market opened on Centre Avenue in March.
“We’re in an area where the median annual income is about $15,000 and 60 per cent of residents don’t have access to transportation," he says.
“We get freezing weather here. Imagine a mum with two or three kids having to get on a bus, or two buses, to get to a grocery store and carry those bags home. It’s heartbreaking.”
Abdullah’s drive to serve the community and empathy for those who are less fortunate can be attributed to his family’s humble roots.
His father, Massaud Salem, lived a tough life when he was young.
He grew up in the village of Alriyayna, in the mountains outside of Libya’s capital city Tripoli.
“He wrote on stone at school and there was no power, no electricity," he says.
“I saw where he slept, it was like a dug-into-the-ground cave with small holes in a clay wall.”
Massaud left the mountain village to go into Tripoli when he was about 16 to further his education.
But a run-in with the regime of the late Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi would change Massaud’s life forever.
“He was outspoken in Libya and he was put in prison for that," Abdullah says. “He was against the persecution of religious rights and didn’t feel like people were being treated justly.”
Massaud was able to escape the hardship he faced in Libya after his wife, Abdullah’s mother, received a scholarship from the University of Pittsburgh to pursue her PhD.
They quickly moved to the western Pennsylvania city, known for its many bridges and history of steelworks, and settled in the Oakland area.
But being in Pittsburgh in the 1970s, they found themselves part of a tiny immigrant community, unable to enjoy the home comforts and needs they took for granted in Libya.
One of the main challenges was food.
“My father could not find halal meat for himself to eat,” Abdullah says. “And as Muslims, if we cannot find halal we are supposed to eat kosher.”
Massaud sought out a kosher supermarket in the predominantly Jewish neighbourhood of Squirrel Hill and was invited by its owner to visit the slaughterhouse they use. They let Massaud slaughter a goat.
“Every so often he would do this and that was how he was able to have halal food for himself,” says Abdullah.
“But as it started to become burdensome to bring so many animals back, him and his friend decided to open a small meat store to serve the community while they were studying.”
As the business began to grow, Massaud would bring home leftover meat and cook curries with his wife, usually rice with lamb or chicken, then sell the packages for $3 or $4 to students at the university.
“By God’s grace, the kids really caught on to it … and that’s how the concept was born,” Abdullah says.
Those humble beginnings have spurred on a burgeoning business empire.
With Abdullah at the helm today, his family own several businesses aside from the new Hill District store. They include a second location of Salem’s Market and Grill in the city’s Strip District and a real estate company which owns the properties.
Massaud, now 78, is taking a well-earned break from work but still lives in the US.
“After the revolution, he did build a home for himself in Libya,” says Abdullah. “But Pittsburgh is Pittsburgh.”
Life has not always been easy. Abdullah says he and his family have suffered racial discrimination over the years.
“As an immigrant growing up in America, it’s extremely challenging,” Abdullah says. “Especially in the early '80s and '90s … no-one knew what I was, it was hard to explain to people that I’m Arab.”
“My sisters were one of the first hijab girls in Pittsburgh public schools … we were called terrorists.”
But there are fond memories woven into Abdullah’s immigrant experience, too.
He recounts stories of nationals from around the world sharing food at his home while growing up.
“We would always have a Nigerian person, a Ghanaian person, a Turkish person at our house for dinner every other night," he says.
“A lot of people’s first experience here is coming to Salem’s and we ended up being this connection point for all immigrants.”
Today, Abdullah is fiercely proud of Pittsburgh and its residents. He eagerly tells of how the city's public school system gives all students the Eid holiday off, a far cry from the days in which his late mother fought with the city's board of education for alternative lunches.
“Back then, they only had pepperoni pizza for lunch," he says.
And he has vowed to continue serving Pittsburgh through food.
“I think what we're doing is special, as we become more and more diverse, I think a store like this is needed.”
Abdullah has been recognised for his contributions.
Upon moving his business into the Hill District, a much-needed boost for the area, the city of Pittsburgh declared July 17 to be Abdullah Salem Day.
“I have no explanation for it," Abdullah says about the award. “I thought maybe they made a mistake.”
And in the same humble manner which laid the foundations of his life’s work, he refuses to pat himself on the back.
“I don’t need to be celebrated in any way for doing my Islamic duty … my reward will be from God,” he says.
Salem's Market and Grill – in pictures
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
NEW%20UTILITY%20POLICY%3A%20WHAT%20DOES%20IT%20REGULATE%3F
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Agreements%20on%20energy%20and%20water%20supply%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Applied%20service%20fees%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Customer%20data%20and%20information%20privacy%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Prohibition%20of%20service%20disconnections%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Customer%20complaint%20process%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Management%20of%20debts%20and%20customers%20in%20default%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Services%20provided%20to%20people%20of%20determination%20and%20home%20care%20customers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
The low down
Producers: Uniglobe Entertainment & Vision Films
Director: Namrata Singh Gujral
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Nargis Fakhri, Bo Derek, Candy Clark
Rating: 2/5
Anti-semitic attacks
The annual report by the Community Security Trust, which advises the Jewish community on security , warned on Thursday that anti-Semitic incidents in Britain had reached a record high.
It found there had been 2,255 anti-Semitic incidents reported in 2021, a rise of 34 per cent from the previous year.
The report detailed the convictions of a number of people for anti-Semitic crimes, including one man who was jailed for setting up a neo-Nazi group which had encouraged “the eradication of Jewish people” and another who had posted anti-Semitic homemade videos on social media.
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Score
Third Test, Day 2
New Zealand 274
Pakistan 139-3 (61 ov)
Pakistan trail by 135 runs with 7 wickets remaining in the innings
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPAD%20PRO%20(12.9%22%2C%202022)
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Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
The%20specs
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
The%20specs
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Infobox
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August
Results
UAE beat Iran by 10 wickets
Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets
Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets
Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs
Monday fixtures
UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain
How it works
A $10 hand-powered LED light and battery bank
Device is operated by hand cranking it at any time during the day or night
The charge is stored inside a battery
The ratio is that for every minute you crank, it provides 10 minutes light on the brightest mode
A full hand wound charge is of 16.5minutes
This gives 1.1 hours of light on high mode or 2.5 hours of light on low mode
When more light is needed, it can be recharged by winding again
The larger version costs between $18-20 and generates more than 15 hours of light with a 45-minute charge
No limit on how many times you can charge
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
